


I call this life

by Pyrrti



Series: A whisper is like a shout [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombies, Animal Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-09-30
Packaged: 2018-01-15 23:53:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1323934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyrrti/pseuds/Pyrrti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stories from before, now and future</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here will be small stories and drabbles from the same universe as Silence is so perfectly silent. They will be stories that are left untold or undetailed in the other fic.

On the evening of 22nd of September one recently married pair were driving home along an empty road. Weariness hung upon them. Only thing that kept them from finding a place to rest was the short distance between them and their destination. Inside the car reigned such a comfortable silence that could spring upon people who knew each other so well that speaking aloud wasn´t needed. 

 

All of sudden something small rushed over the road. Bungo (that was his name) slammed down the brake. An ominous thump made Belladonna (that was her name) gasp loudly. When the car had finally skidded to halt the Bagginses (that was their name) sat still for a moment before Bungo turned off the car and they stepped out. Neither said a word. Bungo went to inspect the front of the car while Belladonna walked along the side of the road.

 

The eerie silence that surrounded them was broken by a small mew from the trench on car´s right side.

 

Both Belladonna and Bungo approached slowly the place the sound came from. There at the bottom laid a small body of a brown cat and right next to it was the tiniest kitten they had ever seen. Its fur was lighter than the other cat´s. It was prodding other cat´s stomach gently but determinedly. Belladonna reached towards the kitten and uttered the first words after the collision.

 

"Oh, dear," she said as she gathered the kitten into her hands, "you poor darling. Bungo, could you check if the other one is still alive?" Bungo went closer the brown cat. He looked over it searching any signs of life. He then straightened his back.

 

"Unfortunately, Bella, it seems that she´s lost to us. The kitten is on its own now," he said. Belladonna examined the kitten that was curled in her hands. It was a small thing, propably still needed its mothers milk. It wouldn´t survive long.

 

Belladonna rised the kitten slightly to see under it. She then looked into Bungo´s eyes and in silent understanding they went back in to the car. Bungo started the car and they were off. 

 

"He´s going to need a name."

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Thrór Dáinson loved cats. Some said that his love was more like an obsession but he did not care of those people. His very first cat, Thráin, had been a gift from his son and had saved him from loneliness after his greatly loved wife had passed to the next world. His son didn´t visit nearly often enough to keep company.

 

Thráin was an odd creature. Appearantly he had been found from an animal shelter nearby the home of his son. Thráin looked very fierce with his one eye and thick and bushy fur, yet he was very affectionate for a cat. Thrór often found him next to his pillow when he woke up, and when he watched television Thráin climbed on to his lap. Thrór was touched by this and he fell in love.

 

After a year an idea popped into Thrór´s head. He would get Thráin some company. It was a very good idea, he thought. He ended up with three new cats and they were named Náin (after Thrór´s grandfather whom he had loved very much), Yíli (after his aunt) and finally Marís (after his long lost daughter). 

 

He had expected some hostility from Thráin but had been surprised to find that Thráin mostly ignored the other cats. Unless they tried to take his place next to Thrór, of course, but even then Thráin only swatted them away once.

 

Thrór loved his cats. 

 

Over the years there were many additions to their small family though Thrór had to admit that he favored Thráin and Marís´ offspring. Few of the kittens he gave away to his son and his neighbours but the rest he kept with himself. They were far too wonderful to give away to strangers. Thrór bought the entire floor for his quickly growing family just to make sure he didn´t have to give up his beloved cats.

 

Thrór had noticed a new illness spreading all around the city. He had noticed it all around him on the streets and in the stores but strangely he had been untouched by it. He had noticed what happened after the illness when a bum had attacked him from one of the alleys. Thrór had been saved by a group of passers-by but not before the man had sank his teeth in to Thrór´s hand. As the commotion died down and the man was taken away he stared at his bloody hand. All those apocalypse movies that his son and wife had forced him to watch came to his mind.

 

The new illness suddenly made sense. The hunger in the eyes of that man made sense. As he watched the blood drip from his hand he thought _this is it_. Ignoring the worried inquiries of the people around him Thrór started to quickly make his way home. He had very little time.

 

Very first thing he did when he arrived was to tie small towel arounf his wounded hand. It had started to feel hot and it strengthened his resolve. Thrór then emptied every single pack of catfood he had on the kitchen floor. He was aware of being curiously watched but paid no heed to it. 

 

He needed to prepare before it was too late.

 

Thrór hurried to his front door. He needed to make sure it would stay open. He neede to make sure no one would get in to the apartment without any tools. He examined the door for a moment. An idea came to him. He detached front of a small drawer. Then he put the safety chain in and nailed the front of the drawer on the doorway so that the door couldn´t be closed.

 

 _That has to be enough,_  Thrór thought. He could already feel his whole arm burning and his head felt as if it was full of cotton. He shook his head. He had made a mistake. He himself was still in the apartment.

 

Thrór walked in to the living room and memorized the sight in front of him. He let his gaze from the youngest of his cats to the oldest, to his Thráin who had kept him going all these years. Thráin regarded Thrór with sorrowful eyes as if knowing that Thrór was leaving them all behind. Thrór wanted to say farewell to them all but knew that there was not enough time. He gave Thráin last stroke along his back just the way he liked it.

 

He then turned and made his way to his bathroom. He locked the door. As he collapsed against it he could hear a questioning meow behind it.

 

Thrór loved his cats very much.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

In the middle of the meadow there stood a tree. It was an old tree and it had seen many many lives and many births, both human and animal. It had given safety and food for many, and despite its old age it was strong and healthy tree. The name humans had given to it was Treebeard for the moss that hung on its branches. The animals named it Fangorn and they revered it much. The tree didn´t know what the name meant and no animal told it.

 

Treebeard had noticed that for some time (days, weeks, months? It didn´t matter to Treebeard) only a few animals had slept on its barks and then moved on with haste. No humans had visited after this one young child had run past it a while ago. Treebeard did not wonder this much, for Treebeard was a tree and in no position to move quickly after them, but it had started to feel lonely. It was hard to hear the whispers of the other trees as they were so far away and none of them (this annoyed Treebeard a bit as its hearing was not what it used to be) thought to rise their voice slightly. Even still Treebeard continued to stand as a tall and safe giant in the middle of the meadow.

 

 

One (quite beautyful, if you asked Treebeard) day it felt something tickle its trunk. It felt the sensation climb higher and higher with haste of... terror? Treebeard was befuddled as it didn´t sense any possible danger nearby. No predator had set their foot on this meadow and no birds had flew over for... some time (Treebeard had to wonder how many days it had been but couldn´t quite remember). As Treebeard felt the creatures (there were two of them) finally stop near its top it spoke to them.

 

"Hrrrmmh, what are you running from, little creatures? Your... hmmmmh... movements speak of great fear yet... there is no danger nearby," it asked its voice resonating with the earth it was living on. Treebeard could feel the total silence that fell as its words reached the creatures. "You have nothing... to fear from me, small ones. Hrum, you will notice... I am the safest... hmmh... tree on this meadow." Amusement brewing through its body Treebeard settled to wait for the visitors to gather their courage. It was not a hasty being and had much time to wait.

 

Soon enough, after furious whispering, one of them piped up: "We were running away from... orcs, I think they are called nowadays. They attacked our group and we were separated. Have you not heard of orcs, o ancient one?"

 

"Orcs? Hrmh, I must admit that the word is... unfamiliar to me. No news has reached me for days," Treebeard hummed deeply. "I must ask you... to share your knowledge of them. Oh, but I have been rather rude. I am... known as Treebeard."

 

 

"My name is Merry," said the creature, "and he is Pippin. Though we don´t know much of the orcs we will gladly share our information with you."

 

The two of them had finally climbed low enough for Treebeard to see them. They were both very young (though no longer kittens, Treebeard noticed) and very small cats. Their fur were curly but the other´s (Merry´s, Treebeard soon found out) was a shade lighter brown. _Very curious looking fellows_ , Treebeard thought.

 

"Tell me of them, young ones, and I´ll see if I can help you." The cats looked at each other as if to decide where to start.

 

"Well, we are not sure how it all started. Some of the humans got really sick at first, I think," Merry said. "They then went kind of mad. Started attacking everything that moved or made a sound."

 

"Merry, you forgot to mention that they died first," Pippin interrupted cheerfully.

 

 

"Hush, I´m telling the story now. But Pippin _is_ right. The humans died and then woke up again. And then started attacking everyone. But that´s not the scariest part. Anyone who gets bitten becomes like them. _Anyone_. Well, maybe not any plants, since they aren´t very interested in them. In fact they even seem to avoid some of them." Merry lapsed into a thoughtful silence. "Never mind that now. So because of this bitting thing there are now so many of them and no longer just human. People started calling them orcs because they´re so ugly with their skin rotting of and everything. And now they have started to travel, too. They are searching for food, we think."

 

"Hmmm... That sounds very troubling indeed. How odd that Saruman has not brought these news to me," Treebeard hummed. "But never mind that. You mentioned that you got separated from your... Travelling group?" 

 

"Oh, yes," Merry said cheerily. "Our group was not an ordinary one. There were, no, _are_  nine of us and only five of us are felines. Pippin and I were accompanieds by two other cats of our breed with names Frodo and Sam ("We have known each others _forever_ ," Pippin chirped.), this _very_ big and furry and ginger cat whose name is Gimli ("Have you ever heard of the Clowder of Thorin? His father was a member of them."), two humans Aragorn and Boromir ("Boromir is my favourite. He plays with us all the time." "Pippin!") and Legolas who is this _huge_ and slender dog("He looks like he could walk on snow"). We were -still _are_ \- on an important mission, you know, to deliver something _really_  important to East. Or that´s what Aragorn and Boromir said. And that is why we need to find them."

 

"Yeah, since Aragorn left that super important thing with Frodo when the orcs attacked and we know that Frodo isn´t very good with directions. Though having Sam with him is going to help _a lot_ ," Pippin said. 

 

 

"Is that so, little ones?" Treebeard smiled. "I might be able to help you." His whole body started to strongly tremble. He could hear the alarmed voices of his small companions. As he slowly tilted, first to the left and then to the right, loud cracks and rips sounded all around him.

 

The ground opened.

 

"It is long forgotten this talent of travelling. It has been long and my roots are in deep but, I think, for your news I will take on the road once again," Treebeard harrumphed and stretched his legs. "This may be my last march and this may be forgotten from history... but I will take you to your friends safely... To East, was it?"

 

"Y-yes, to East," Merry and Pippin said quietly, so shocked they were. 

 

And Treebeard started his long stride forward.

 

 


End file.
